News Release Archive

Temporary Closure of Birdsall Road to Birdsall River Access Due to Landslide

Media Contact: Russ Grimes, 916-978-5100, rwgrimes@usbr.gov

For Release: February 23, 2017

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Bureau of Reclamation and California Department of Parks and Recreation announce the temporary closure of Birdsall Road to the Birdsall River Access in the China Bar Area of the Auburn State Recreation Area. The road is currently closed, until further notice, due to a landslide that occurred there during high river flows in January 2017.

The road was opened in 2008 after the closure of a tunnel diversion that had been built for the initial construction work on Auburn Dam. The tunnel closure had re-opened the river to navigation through this reach.

The road to the Birdsall River Access will be closed from the China Bar Road at Oregon Hill downhill to the river at Birdsall River Access. The closure is indicated in red on the map included. Other trails, and the parking and restroom at Oregon Hill, will remain open to the public. The China Bar Road from Maidu Drive in Auburn is open to vehicles on weekends and holidays from April to September, and open to hiking, biking and horse riding all year.

The Birdsall River Access followed road alignments formerly used by dam construction equipment in the canyon below the City of Auburn. The route also served as the western portion of the Auburn-Cool Trail until the river was re-diverted from the tunnel and restored to its bed as part of the pump station project. This portion of the Auburn-Cool Trail will also be closed during the road repair.

Until further notice, recreational boaters in this reach of the North Fork American River are advised to use other access points near Auburn, including the confluence area upstream, the take-out at Oregon Bar downstream, or to continue downstream to Folsom Lake and take-out at Rattlesnake Bar when water levels in the lake are favorable.

Other popular trails that remain open in the area include the entire Cardiac Bypass Trail.

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.

Relevant Link:

Map of Birdsall Road to Birdsall River Access Closure